Bulgaria’s President Rosen Plevneliev on Thursday asked the Socialists to form a coalition cabinet after ex-premier Boyko Borissov’s GERB party rejected the offer as he lacks sufficient parliamentary support. The centre-right GERB won most seats in a May 12 election in the European Union’s poorest country but cannot command a majority, as other parties are shunning it after its resignation during protests against low living standards in February. The Socialists, aware of simmering public anger with politicians, have proposed a government made up of technical experts, headed by a non-partisan former finance minister. With allies from the ethnic Turkish MRF, the Socialists are one seat short of a majority but analysts say the proposal is likely to win parliamentary backing with support from or abstentions by individual MPs from GERB and the nationalist Attack.



